govindhan gunam paadi en aavi kaaththiruppen - post 16

From the Bhakti List Archives

• March 8, 2002


[ Dear Members, As I wrote earlier, this post describing the
  beautiful anubhavas of Oothukkaadu Venkata Subbier and other
  great bhaktas are most welcome in the new sv-poetry email group.
  Please join this group by visiting 
  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sv-poetry/join or by sending
  email to sv-poetry-subscribe@yahoogroups.com . I am approving
  this message in the Bhakti List to take the opportunity to let
  people know once again about these new groups. -- moderator ]

Post 16

Dear Srivaishnava perunthagaiyeer,

In the previous post we saw krishna assuring kaaliyan, that, since you bear
my foot marks, nobody will do any harm to you, even if he is your born
enemy. 

See here a bhaktha yearning to be the kaaliyan head, so that he can get that
kaNNan's foot-mark on his head and then be blessed [even though he does not
be a good one but lord takes pain to reach this person like kaaliyan]-

kaaLiyasya phaNathaam sirasthu mE
sath kadhamba sikarathvamEva vaa|
vashti jushta vana saila sundhara 
thvath padhabja yugamapitham yayO||

slokam 111  sree sundhara baahusthavam by sri kooraththaazhvaan

meaning: hey!  sundhara [raja] who likes to reside in the thirumaal irum
solai, my head likes the status of those two who are blessed by you, 
	snake kaaliyan which had the sowbhaagyam of having your feet on his
head. 
	kadamba tree which had the sowbhaagyam of having your feet climbing
on it and then getting the life juice from your feet.

Points: 
1.	See the addressing- "vana saila sundhara" - in that calling itself,
all the love towards the lord is expressed. Again one more falling in love
with that thirumaal irum solai azhagar like the aazhvaars and aaNdaaL. We
enjoyed some references from them earlier in this series.   Krishna also
liked the vanam -forest- brindhaavanam- tulasi forests- sailam-hills -
gOvardhanam etc- here it is thirumaalirumsolai hill and forests combined.

2.	Kaaliyan's bhaagyam of having the lord's feet stamp mark permanently
on his head is recalled and stated oh can I have that, even rejecting the
initial bad man image what kaaliyan had. Perhaps once had been under
krishna's foot, only that bhagyam is remembered and all earlier things are
forgotten. This is what we also ought to follow in the case of bhagavathaas-
forget their past and consider only the present.

3.	That kadamba tree- even though it was useless, dry and just simply
standing as "mottai maram", once the tree allowed the lord to climb on
itself, then it got an elevated status- became the desired tree by such a
devotee like kooraththaazhvaan. A useless thing also becomes a revered thing
because of the touch of the lord's feet, so that his serious and very
staunch devotee like kooraththaazhvaan wants to become that object.

Now a beautiful krithi by Sri gopala dasa from karnataka in kannada. Please
pardon me for the free translation [may be inadequate and wrong also, for I
sought a friend's help to translate and then give a gist, corrections and
points are welcome]. Please appreciate the content in this song -

krishNana nOdidhe sarva uthkrishtana paadidhe
krishNana nOdi saashtaangava maadidhe
kashtava pariharisi ishtava needina
krishNana nOdide krishNana paadidhe

meaning: I saw krishna, I sang about that all round excellent krishna. I
prostrated to krishna after seeing him. He will solve my difficulties. I saw
krishna I sang about krishna. 

shishtana nOdide vara nirdhishthana nOdidhe
hrishtapushta santushtana shrEshtana
shishyara hrudhaya sammishthana ishtana
krishNana nOdide krishNana paadidhe

meaning: I saw krishna the chief of all, I saw the boon declarer, the stout,
the ever happy, the oldest, the clear favourite of all in the hearts of all
disciples, I sang about that krishna.

rangana nOdide dhEvOththungana nOdidhe
ranga singa kaaLinga mardhana
mangaLaanga bhava bhangana nOdidhe
krishNana nOdidhe krishNana paadidhe

meaning: I saw ranga the highest among dhEvaas, who is the lion , dancing on
the snake kaaLiyan, the lord krishna who gives whatever by his mere sight, I
sang about that ranga/ krishna.

baalana nOdidhe lakshmee lOlana nOdidhe
seelasooladhara baala leelaa
sisupaala kaala vanamaalana nOdidhe
krishNana nOdidhe krishNana paadidhe

meaning: I saw the young krishna, the lover of lakshmi, who steals clothes
of girls and gives them after some pain and realisation, the yama for
sisupaala, one who wears the vaijayanthi maala- tulasi garland, I sang about
that krishna.

dheerana nOdidhe guNagambheerana nOdide
veera soora paraathpara vara
akroora varadha sreedharana nOdidhe
krishNana nOdidhe krishNana paadidhe

meaning: I saw krishna the person of highvalour, a lotus of high virtues,
mighty, brave, the supreme being, granter of boons, adorning lakshmi in the
chest, one who is liked by that great akroora,  I sang about such krishna.

saamana nOdidhe balanisseemana nOdidhe
vaamana bhaamana kaamanayana
saamana seemana sOmana nOdidhe
krishNana nOdidhe krishNana paadidhe

meaning: I saw krishna the vishNu, the clever young boy, vaamana - the
dwarf,  who is liked  by young girls, controls the moon, I sang about such a
krishna.
 
jaaNana nOdidhe bala praveeNana nOdidhe
praaNana praaNana guNagaNa maNdhitha
vENugOpaala viththala kalyaaNana
krishNana nOdidhe krishNana paadidhe

meaning; I saw krishna the originator of all human, the young wizard full of
life, playing flute thegranter all mangalams- welfare, I sang about such a
krishna.

Point: See how many times the name of lord appears- krishna, krishna. Also
observe how he describes so many kalyaaNa guNas in simple terms, including
the mention of kaaLiyan.

Dear bhakthaas- is it not our duty also to sing about that gOvindhan and
save our souls like this daasa from karnataka.

Dhasan 

Vasudevan m.g.



--------------------------------------------------------------
           - SrImate rAmAnujAya namaH -
To Post a message, send it to:   bhakti-list@yahoogroups.com
Archives: http://ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/
 

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/